Mother hen

This dedicated mother hen went broody, but was trying to hatch sterile eggs.  She sat such a long time, I finally went to Dunlap Hatchery in Caldwell, Idaho and bought some hatching eggs.  I had 7 mille fleur eggs, and four of them hatched from June 15 to June 17.  I was checking the nest constantly those days, and saw one that seemed dead-it was cold and out of the nest.  I put the baby back under her, and it survived!  she has been such a good mother.  I have had a wonderful time watching her behavior as she first showed them how to pick food from the dirt and eat, then showed how to scratch up the soil and check it out, and so on to more complex behaviors.  This week, she is working on grooming.  She takes a big, long dust bath, then grooms her feathers and the tiny babies all stretch and preen just like their mama!  What a nurturing mother hen!